CRIPPLED MUSICIAN MOVED ON

NZ Truth, Issue 1262, 6 February 1930, Page 10

CRIPPLED MUSICIAN MOVED ON

Prosecution of Old Man Who

Depends On His Flute

FOREIGN MUSICIANS ARE LEFT ALONE

(From ',N.Z. Truth's" Special Christchurch Representative.)

There has, fortunately, been little need for the people of this country to maintain vigil to ensure that New Zealand will be kept free for New Zealanders. Apart from the industrious Chinese, who pays admission at the country's doorway, and a sprinkling of Hindus, whose British citizenship entitles them to a domicile here, there has been no threat of a colored invasion to God's Own Country.

BUT New Zealanders axe becoming notoriously casual for their * patronage of their own kith and kin to the advantage of the minority of foreigners who establish themselves m this Dominion. A case of mild persecution of a crippled kerbside musician m Christ; church presents adequate ,proof that room will be found m this country for foreigners while , Britishers', can starve. For a long time' past Frederick George Seelen, a. cripple, who fathers a family of sixteen, Has been a familiar figure m the shopping centres of Christchurch. His appearance bespeaks his unfortun- ' ate position.. ] Seated on a low canvas stool, with his crutch lying on»the ground beside him, he plays a flute, and his living is dependent upon the ' charitable nature of the community. Seelen is; a passable musician. Apart from an occasional shortage of wind and a stiffness m the fingers when manipulating a. sustained run of notes, his effoi'ts with the flute take him through selections from opera and the works of the old Masters right down to the more capricious movements of jazz. But the sonorous piping of Seelen's concert flute raised the ire of some business people m Cashel Street and steps were taken to have the musician barred on the ground that he was causing an annoyance. v • From Street to Street • The court was informed by Chief City Inspector Macintosh that several shopkeepers had complained about Seelen playing outside their shops and after being barred from playing m Cashel Street, between Colombo Street and High Street,^ 'he had gone and played there again. Seelen pleaded that he just did his turn and then went along to another part of the city, but the magistrate warned him that he must desist from playing m this area and frequent other streets where his music was more" likely to be tolerated. The action of the authorities and those responsible for the prosecution does not display that spirit of toleration towards one of life's unfortunates that New Zealanders are noted for. ' ■ • • . And it is m marked contrast with the treatment accorded a troup of foreigners who have inf ested* the city for several months past also to earn their own living as street musicians. Their music, which emanates from a trumpet, a clarionet and an accordean; has a popular appeal with the young folk as it is mostly of the jazz variety." It is more- noisy and is as

immmmiiumumimiiimiimiimmmmiimmmiimtmmmmimmmini^ much an annoyance as the lonely flute player. But the cases of Seelen and the foreign trio are not analogous. Seelen is an elderly cripple, and is quite unobtrusive as he pipes his meagre existence from the paßsers-by. He does not solicit alms, but depends entirely upon .the generosity and sympathy of the public. Opposition Trio On the other hand, the opposition trio, who are Assyrians, are young, able-bodied men. They play only m front of hotel bar entrances. They do not, however*,' jvait for the public to subscribe voluntarily, but canvass the crowds which gather and invade the bars with their collection-box. No one requires a permit to earn a living as a-' street musician, but when the two cases are viewed dispassionately it appears that the harmless and helpless cripple is to be deprived of the spoils from the busy shopping centres, leaving a foreign troup the monopoly and the right to continue causing annoyance.